...can be found here, and I think it's a good read. I put it to all of you...regardless of if it should or not, do you think it actually has a legitimate chance to win the big prize? I do...but do you?-Thoughts?
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Dont agree with him about "A Beautiful Mind" being irrelevant now, but it's definitely a good read. Anyway I dont think there is any reason why the Hurt Locker shouldnt take Best Picture this year. After watching it 4 months ago, my first thought was this film HAS to be at least nominated. But I was really doubtful due to the early release... but now the competition has dwindled down to realistically only Up In the Air and maybe Avatar or Invictus(its still lurking there in my op.)As far as i'm concerned this film deserves all the top critics honours it's receiving right now and it would definitely be disappointing if the Academy fails to follow suit.
ReplyDeleteDont agree with him about "A Beautiful Mind" being irrelevant now, but it's definitely a good read. Anyway I dont think there is any reason why the Hurt Locker shouldnt take Best Picture this year. After watching it 4 months ago, my first thought was this film HAS to be at least nominated. But I was really doubtful due to the early release... but now the competition has dwindled down to realistically only Up In the Air and maybe Avatar or Invictus(its still lurking there in my op.)As far as i'm concerned this film deserves all the top critics honours it's receiving right now and it would definitely be disappointing if the Academy fails to follow suit.
ReplyDeleteoops double post. lol
ReplyDeleteGood read indeed...and no worries.
ReplyDeletePoetry. I couldn't have said it better than he did. Man, especially with him identifying Mulholland Drive. Damn, poetry.
ReplyDeleteIt won't win. Clooney's star power or Avatar's CGI will knock it off.
It's the Best Picture of the year, hands down.
This need to be sent alongside the screeners for the Hurt Locker.
Poetry.
Man, the Globes are going to be SO telling. If Hollywood can get behind it, even past Clooney's smile (yes, the movie was damn good, I'm not mocking it) and Reitman's pedigree (and talent), than the Hurt Locker has the chance to go to the distance.
It's all this season has in the BP category. I just think Avatar falls comfortably into #3 and Bastards isn't contending for the prize, just securing a nom.
Up in the Air vs. Hurt Locker.
Here we go...
Fair points...we shall see.
ReplyDeleteEither Hurt Locker or Up in the Air ought to win, for sure. But with no clear favorite -- at least at this stage -- doesn't that give Avatar a huge advantage? It will certainly dominate the ballots coming in from the technical community, and I would wager it has enough support outside to give it an edge. Were one of Hurt Locker or Up in the Air to emerge as the consensus alternative we could get a David-beating-Goliath scenario, but it just feels like Avatar's year, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteNot especially, in my eyes...but we shall see.
ReplyDeleteWell, hope you're right. I think the more interesting battle may be Bigelow vs. Cameron for director, frankly.
ReplyDeleteagreed.
ReplyDeleteThe Million Dollar Baby was a masterpiece? I thought it was good, but masterpiece. I guess this is when subjectivity takes over.
ReplyDeleteHL has a chance, but it hasn't grossed anything. People were complaining when No Country Men won, and didn't make that much money. No Country has grossed almost ten times as much the Hurt Locker. It can win, but it can suffer from a small b/o performance.
Indeed, that's one of its main drawbacks.
ReplyDeleteInteresting topic. I'll have my say.
ReplyDeleteI can't agree with the article. Million Dollar Baby and No Country For Old Men were the years I think they got it wrong, going with critics over audience. The Hurt Locker is for me, again, the same thing.
After the lowest ratings of all time in 2008 (The No Country year), the Academy took note that audiences were not happy with dark, gritty films leading the way and opted for lighter, more uplifiting films. Hence 8 Oscars go to Slumdog Millionaire, a good film but not an 8 Oscar award winning film!!!
I think you'll find, come Oscar time with Avatar doing massive things for worldwide box office and Up In The Air pleasing audiences all round, again Academy voters will think "ratings and mass appeal". And personally, I hope they do cos I wasn't much of a Hurt Locker fan. Sorry :(
More or less...I think the Academy is banking on having big nominees attracting viewers, not who they give the award to. If Avatar and Up in the Air and Inglourious Basterds are in the race, the ratings will be there, whether The Hurt Locker wins or one of those do...
ReplyDeleteI wasn't crazy for the Hurt Locker either. I thought it was an excellent film, but it's not the clear cut favorite over Up in the Air.
ReplyDeleteI think there's a lot of camps people are breaking into, the Up in the Air camp, the Hurt Locker camp, etc. I'd actually say this gives Basterds a good shot, since it might be a compromise pick, same with Avatar, though I think the story is weak enough to hurt it a bit...
ReplyDeleteVery true Joey. Plus the joint Steve Martin/Alec Baldwin hosting was a good call for pulling in ratings. Still if Hurt Locker wins, it will be interesting to see what crowds think when so many have yet to see it.
ReplyDeleteAnd agreed Keith. There's A LOT to be admired in Bigelow's making of the film. Probably why she's the frontrunner for Director. I just felt in the end, what did the film really say or do to make it THAT good. Here in Australia we're still waiting on Up In The Air to be released. Can't wait to see how it compares.
It makes for an exciting season, no doubt!
ReplyDeleteI thought it lacked cohesion. Mackie and Geraghty were underutilized. I don't know, I probably need to watch it again. It just didn't blow me away the first time watching. A solid 90%, but I did not think it was 99 or 100%
ReplyDeleteFair enough sir. If nothing else, your 90 instead of 100 is proof we're not shameless promoters of the film here haha.
ReplyDeleteTruthfully, from what I've seen this year, I think Avatar deserves it. Why? I think 10, 20, or 30 years from now, we'll be looking at Avatar the way we're looking at Star Wars today. Star Wars, when it came out (before the canon was developed and it was merely a standalone movie) had a similarly weak storyline--it was a textbook definition of all the classical qualities of an "epic" film, and it was by NO means groundbreaking when it came to plot.
ReplyDeleteBut there's something to be said about having a plot as simple as Avatars--sure it might be predictable, but it's also far more universal and far more timeless than many other plotlines contending for Best Pictures this year. It's not focused on surprising anyone with dramatic plot-twists, it's focused on immersing people and getting them interested on how it happens, instead. And that makes for a very watchable movie...something people can easily watch again and again.
Which is why I think Avatar is destined to become a modern classic film in the same vein as Star Wars (especially if, or at this point, when James Cameron fulfills his wishes of making 2 more films).
Now we look back, should "Annie Hall", as great a movie as it was, really have unearthed Star Wars (one of the most groundbreaking movies which was met with very similar critical praise upon its release)? I'll leave that as the rhetorical question. I do think Avatar will be ingrained far deeper in our memories 20 years from now than either Hurt Locker or Up in the Air.
Just my two dollar bill. Thanks for putting up these blogs and giving me an opportunity to vent my worthy (or worthless) opinions. :P
My pleasure, and it's not rhetorical to me, since I'd have voted for Annie Hall, but that's just me...
ReplyDeleteIf we're going to talk about Avatar's weak plot being a detriment, then the same criticism should be applied to The Hurt Locker.... which has NO plot. At least there was a story to follow in Avatar, unlike in Hurt Locker which basically just followed the bomb squad around and documented their reactions to the war.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I think The Hurt Locker is a great film and certainly deserving of the award. But I feel like it succeeds because of Bigelow's direction and the outstanding performances from Renner and Mackie.
The Hurt Locker has a much stronger script though...
ReplyDeleteNow this is interesting argument. Both are highly flawed plot wise agreed. Avatar has received plenty of plot attacks but really is Hurt Locker any stronger? Just as Avatar is Pocahontas retold, Hurt Locker uses the cliche Top Gun plot of a maverick in a group set in their ways. I'd have to watch HL again to see if the dialogue is stronger though.
ReplyDeleteI guess I feel what differentiates both films from most others is the original visuals both bring in VERY different ways. Cinematography should be really interesting to watch, especially with Nine losing lots of buzz.